HR0677 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0677 LRB093 21255 JAM 47399 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, State employee health insurance coverage is extended to the dependents of State employees under the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971; and

WHEREAS, Subsection (h) of Section 3 of that Act, 5 ILCS 375/3(h), defines "a dependent as a member's spouse and any unmarried child (1) from birth to age 19 including an adopted child, a child who lives with the member from the time of the filing of a petition for adoption until entry of an order of adoption, a stepchild or recognized child who lives with the member in a parent-child relationship, or a child who lives with the member if such member is a court appointed guardian of the child, or (2) age 19 to 23 enrolled as a full-time student in any accredited school, financially dependent upon the member, and eligible to be claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes, or (3) age 19 or over who is mentally or physically handicapped. For the health plan only, the term "dependent" also includes any person enrolled prior to the effective date of this Section who is dependent upon the member to the extent that the member may claim such person as a dependent for income tax deduction purposes; no other such person may be enrolled. For the health plan only, the term "dependent" also includes any person who has received after June 30, 2000 an organ transplant and who is financially dependent upon the member and eligible to be claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes"; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Central Management Services, as administrator of the State group insurance program, determines who meets the statutory definition of a dependent; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly, and all State employees, are keenly interested in the fair and consistent administration of the group insurance program, which the General Assembly recognizes and intends as a valuable benefit of State employment; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that this body requests that the Department of Central Management Services report to the General Assembly by March 31, 2004 upon the administration of the State employee group insurance program with respect to dependent coverage, including (i) the Department's criteria for determining dependent status; (ii) the number of persons, by classification, rejected by the Department as not meeting those dependent criteria during the current fiscal year and fiscal year 2003; and (iii) the the rules and procedure by which the Department's denial of dependent status may be appealed; and be it further; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Director of Central Management Services.